Celestial Human Diagram

It didn’t take long to get in touch with Teacher Xue. Chen Chuan explained his situation, and Teacher Xue responded, "Chen, you’re making rapid progress. Let’s do it tomorrow. Wait for me at the usual place at nine in the morning."

Chen Chuan said, "Alright, Teacher. I’ll be there on time."

"Good, good. See you tomorrow."

After ending the call, Chen Chuan thought for a moment. ’Good thing I planned ahead and scheduled my meeting with Counselor Pei for the evening. That way, no matter how late Teacher Xue is, it shouldn’t drag on into the night.’

And tomorrow was a rest day, so he didn’t have to go to the training class. The timing worked out perfectly.

He turned and went to change Chaoming’s water and food. He noticed the bird had grown a little larger, its feathers now much brighter and fuller.

He walked to the scenic window and pushed it open, and a strong gust of wind immediately surged in. With a chirp, Chaoming flew out. He let Chaoming fly a few laps outside every day now, but he never let it stray too far from the Profound Palace Building or fly too high, just to avoid any accidents.

But he was thinking about something else. ’Creatures from the Merging Land all have Mutated Organizations. That must be why they can survive there for so long. Could Chaoming have one too?’

’If Chaoming had one, it would be a huge help to me. The ability to fly is a massive advantage. It might not be that useful in the city, but it would be invaluable in the wild.’

Last time, on the way back from Central City, it was Chaoming who had spotted the enemy’s movements in advance, allowing them to prepare.

’Besides, if Chaoming had a Mutated Organization, it would gain offensive capabilities. Even if it didn’t attack targets, its physical abilities would undoubtedly improve in every aspect.’

’Perhaps I can ask the Secret Snake Sect about this another day.’

Meanwhile, in the Sky Garden at the top of the building, Assistant Ling stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, gazing at the forest of skyscrapers ahead. He spoke into his Realm Token, "The time is approaching. Prepare as quickly as you can on your end."

Just then, he caught sight of the flying figure. He raised an eyebrow and gave a playful smile, then continued speaking into the Realm Token, "I can’t say for sure exactly when. But it’ll be soon."

Back with Chen Chuan, he first practiced the Meditation Method for a while. After Chaoming returned from its flight, he took the elevator downstairs, got in his car, and drove to Lu Fang’s Fighting Hall.

Lately, Xiaojin had been coming here to train every day, with Fang Zhixin arranging for his transport each time. Although Fang Zhixin had previously found that Lu Fang didn’t have a citizen’s ID, he understood that a lack of identification didn’t mean a lack of ability. Especially since Chen Chuan had made the introduction, which meant Lu Fang was basically trustworthy.

When he arrived, Chen Chuan parked his car and walked into the Fighting Hall. He saw Xiaojin being pulled up from the floor by Chu Wu. The two bumped fists, then started another match.

Lu Fang walked over and handed him a glass of water. "Just passing through?"

Chen Chuan accepted it with a word of thanks. "I was planning to come tomorrow, but I have an appointment, so I thought I’d stop by today. How’s Xiaojin been doing?"

Lu Fang said, "He works hard and he’s improving quickly. But I think he might lack a bit of... Spirituality when it comes to fighting."

This was another way of saying he was a bit stiff and rigid in combat. There was no explaining talent for fighting. Some people might look weak, but they could create opportunities and find openings in battle, achieving victory against a stronger opponent.

In his mind, Chen Chuan was the most gifted person he had ever seen in this regard.

Xiaojin, however, was somewhat lacking in this area. His opponent, Chu Wu, had stumbled his way into training and only managed to start practicing with Lu Fang’s help. His foundation was far inferior to Xiaojin’s.

But when the two fought, Xiaojin was always on the losing end. At first, it was due to inexperience, but even now that he was getting used to it, he still felt like something was missing.

Chen Chuan said, "Fighting ability can be cultivated through extensive training and suitable opponents. As long as he doesn’t give up in his heart, there’s always a chance."

Lu Fang nodded. "You’re right about that."

Xiaojin had been knocked down so many times and had barely ever won. An ordinary person would have long since become dejected and started doubting themselves. But Xiaojin was never like that. He always maintained his initial desire to win. Sometimes, Lu Fang himself didn’t know where that drive came from. And that was Xiaojin’s strength—a very rare one at that.

From this perspective, as long as Xiaojin didn’t fall by the wayside, he was destined to go far in the future.

Chen Chuan asked, "Senior Brother, when do you plan to teach him Power?"

Lu Fang thought for a moment. "I plan to polish him a bit more. With his current combat experience, gaining Power too early wouldn’t be a good thing. He’d just rely on Power to knock down his opponents, and his fighting techniques would fall behind. He might be able to bully those who haven’t practiced Power, but he’d probably still struggle against people at the same level."

Chen Chuan nodded. "That’s the right approach."

"What about Chu Wu? What do you think of him, Junior Brother?" Lu Fang asked.

Chen Chuan replied, "He started training a bit late, but he’s sharp and very ambitious."

Most of the trainees at this Fighting Hall would end up as street thugs. As soon as they started training, they’d become enforcers or leaders for gangs and start making money.

But Chu Wu, who could have easily done the same, chose not to. Instead, he was willing to follow Lu Fang. That foresight alone put him above many others. Chen Chuan also noticed that when he arrived, Chu Wu had glanced at him and then became extremely focused in his training. ’Perhaps he recognizes me.’

It was possible. After all, many people had seen the recording of his victory over Wei Wusheng.

He didn’t mind it. Having the motivation to climb higher was a good thing. A Fighter who wasn’t supported by a certain degree of obsession was destined to not go far.

Lu Fang said, "I plan to teach him Power at the same time as Xiaojin and see how far he can go on his own. And having each other as rivals at the First Limit will help them both improve."

Chen Chuan said, "You’ve thought it through very well, Senior Brother."

He waited for about ten minutes. The two on the floor fought two more rounds before taking a break. He spoke with Xiaojin for a bit, sat with Lu Fang for a while longer, and then left.

’Chen Bitong’s situation was hard to predict. The higher-ups were watching so closely, and I could also sense his attitude toward me. Even if I’m fine for now, I might not get a pass in the future.’

’The man taught me so much. The least I can do is look after his son.’

After leaving the Fighting Hall, he saw it was almost noon. He contacted Ni Qianqian and invited her to lunch, but she was busy, so they had to reschedule.

He was about to head back to Wuyi when a call came through on his Realm Token. He glanced at it and saw it was Uncle Ding. He answered immediately. "Uncle Ding, what’s the matter?"

"Captain Chen, the young master has something he’d like to give you. He asked me to let you know that you can come and pick it up whenever you’re free."

Chen Chuan said, "I’m on my way."

An hour later, a Gard Car pulled up in front of Senior Brother Cao’s estate. Uncle Ding was waiting at the gate. When Chen Chuan approached, he said politely, "Captain Chen, the young master is in the back hills admiring the flowers. Please follow me."

Chen Chuan followed Uncle Ding to the rear of the estate. It was late March now, and the area was a sea of blooming peach blossoms, a brilliant and vibrant expanse that glowed like rosy clouds.

Cao Guiqi, dressed in a dark cyan outer robe, was playing a zither beneath a peach tree.

Chen Chuan stopped to listen from a distance. The melody felt leisurely and transcendent, like ascending a mountain path to gaze upon clouds and mist. Yet, on reflection, it seemed tinged with a hint of nostalgia for days gone by.

Only after the piece was finished did he walk over.

Cao Guiqi pressed a hand on the strings and sighed. "This ’Long Traveling Song’ is meant to evoke the high spirits and vigorous energy of young scholars on a spring outing. Alas, my heart is burdened with worries, and I can’t seem to match the piece’s emotion. Instead, it’s filled with an air of decline, which is a true pity."

Chen Chuan came forward and said with a smile, "The sun rises and sets, the tides ebb and flow. Senior Brother, today you may play the twilight of spring, but who is to say that tomorrow you won’t play the dawn of autumn?"

Cao Guiqi smiled. "You have a point, Junior Brother. Yesterday’s regrets build today’s worries, yet tomorrow’s hopes can also resolve them. Please, sit."

After Chen Chuan sat down, he said, "I asked you here today because I’ve obtained a Compound Medicine, one that happens to be compatible with your High Heaven Jade Core."

He took a box and a scroll from Uncle Ding and placed them on the desk.

"This scroll records the method for preparing the Compound Medicine. The steps aren’t difficult, but you’ll need to prepare some tools and set up a ritual beforehand. I recall you know some Esoteric Rituals, correct?"

Chen Chuan replied, "I know a few. If it’s a simple ritual, I can set it up."

"Why not take a look first?"

Chen Chuan picked it up, opened it, and looked it over. Seeing that it wasn’t too complicated, he nodded. "No problem."

Cao Guiqi said, "Then take it with you. You’ll need it eventually. This Compound Medicine is just taking up space here."

Chen Chuan said solemnly, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Cao Guiqi just smiled.

Just then, Uncle Ding brought over some tea. After he set it down, a sudden gust of wind blew through, scattering peach blossom petals. A few landed on the agarwood desk. Cao Guiqi glanced at them and said, "It’s almost April, Junior Brother. You should act with caution in the coming days."

Seeing that he didn’t elaborate, Chen Chuan’s heart stirred slightly. He nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I will."

Senior Brother Cao said, "The reason I called you over today is that in a few days, I’ll be closing off the estate and won’t be seeing any outside guests. This may last until May, or possibly even longer. If you need anything, you can contact Uncle Ding." He glanced at Uncle Ding, who tapped his Realm Token.

Chen Chuan immediately received a contact channel. Uncle Ding said, "Captain Chen, if you need to get in touch, just use this channel. If you can’t get through right away, you can come to the foot of Motie Mountain."

Chen Chuan nodded to show he understood. For the rest of the time, the two of them didn’t speak of these matters, instead admiring the flowers and drinking tea. He didn’t leave until the afternoon.

As he left the estate, he glanced into the distance. Strong gusts of wind blew, causing the sea of trees on Motie Mountain to surge and sway. He suddenly wondered, ’Could what Senior Brother Cao mentioned be related to what Counselor Pei is going to tell me tomorrow?’

’I’ll find out soon enough anyway.’

He opened the car door, got in, and started it smoothly, heading back toward Central City.

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